The Red Feather: A Sacred Trust from the Amazon
(The red feather from the Amazon Banawa Chief as presented to All Nations Founder Floyd McClung.)
Last year in Cape Town, South Africa, All Nations Co-Founder Sally McClung gave me a red feather and told me, “I want you to have this as a keepsake from Floyd.” It was a feather that the chief of one of the least known indigenous tribes of Brazil, the Banawa Tribe, had given to All Nations Founder Floyd McClung as a token of friendship in 1990. Floyd had taken his son Matthew coursing a river in the Amazon to visit a remote team working with the Banawa people.
The Banawa feather is more than a keepsake. It is a sacred trust symbolizing our All Nations’ mandate to chart new courses and blaze new trails to reach the neglected peoples of the earth. And our people are doing just that—giving their lives to serve the least, the last, and the lost.
All Nations Founder Floyd McClung along with his son, Matthew, and a couple other men and their sons on the way to the Amazon village
For me, the Banawa feather also evinces my greatest joy in serving All Nations, which is to visit, uphold, and learn from our frontline heroes serving the least, the last, and the lost. The mode of transportation may have changed. It may be on foot or on wheels, in a plane or a humble rowboat. But our singular mission to the least, the last, and the lost continues. And my joy is to experience our people in action firsthand and to hear of their challenges and victories in person.
John and I spent five weeks last year visiting our people in 2021, traversing through countries from the top of Europe to the southern end of Africa. Despite navigating shifting covid restrictions, the Lord opened borders that were closed and lifted stringent lockdown restrictions. We managed to gather as an International Leadership Team (ILT), as members from multiple countries, to move key decisions forward on behalf of All Nations. And so many times as we visited and ate with our people and their children, I would pinch myself and think, “how come I get to have this job, this privilege of visiting our people and hearing their stories.”
All Nations International - International Leadership Team (ILT): John and Dr. Mary Ho, International Executive Leader; Dr. Pam Arlund, Gerhard Barnard, Elizabeth and Matt Chen, and Monika and Dr. Juergen Kramer. (Marinda Barnard, Sally McClung and Wilson Namuwoza are not pictured in this photograph.)
Whenever I look at that photo of the boat and what it took to be bestowed a token of friendship from the chief, and when I see the young men that Floyd took along including his son, it reminds me that the Great Commission is a multi-generational sacred trust. The Lord is renewing the same promise to us today, that “through your offspring all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me (Gen. 22.18).” It was the Abrahamic covenant that the Lord pledged and extended to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and now to us and our children.
In All Nations, may we always take the next generation along and continue to pass the torch to those coming behind us. Not only will there be no neglected peoples left behind; in All Nations, may there be no generations left behind. Will you join me and pause for a moment to ask the Lord whom you and I should take along or mentor to continue our missional legacy into the next generation?
Get Connected & Let’s Grow Together!
We invite you! Here are some amazing resources you may find interesting including:
Lessons from the Least, the Last, and the Lost, All Nations Weekly Devotion by Blake Staton
All Nations Pocket Guide to Church Planting by Dr. Pam Arlund (in many languages)
All Nations Storytelling Resource
Mission’s Edge, a monthly roundtable learning opportunities with ministry and missions leaders! Sign-up for any of these today and participate! Let’s grow together!
To participate or learn about our monthly global prayer for the neglected people around the world, sign-up HERE to receive a monthly video prayer invite. We meet on the last Thursday of each month at 8 am CST (US). We encourage everyone to join in as we pray that Jesus will be worshiped by all peoples of the earth — the least, the last, and the lost!
Our Founder, Floyd McClung, has 18 books and audio/video teachings that will be an encouragement to you as you press in to all Jesus has for you in your journey! Connect HERE to our founders area to be equipped!
